The announcement of the iPhone X, Apple’s latest cellular device, was accompanied by a great deal of controversy early this September. The main complaint was that the price of the phone is too high, set at a bank-breaking $999 for the 64 gigabyte model, and $1,149 for the 256 gigabyte model. The market has seen a steady increase in the release price of new phones, and many consumers have been wondering when this price will stabilize. Of course, the technology in mobile phones has also seen a steady rise, and with more expensive technology comes higher manufacturing costs. Nevertheless, the iPhone X will be a groundbreaking test of whether the $1000 price point for a phone will become the new standard.

Now, there are a few factors to consider when discussing the possible success of the iPhone X. First of all, Apple patrons are known for their loyalty. There is a substantial amount of people that would be willing to buy an Apple product at virtually any cost. This is partly due to the fact that Apple is well known for the reliability of their products and the incredible integration between them. An iPhone can be used in combination with a Mac in a way that no other technology company has been able to replicate. For this reason, it makes more sense for someone to purchase the iPhone X if they already have other Apple products.

When comparing the hardware of the iPhone X to its price, problems begin to arise. The “new” features that make the iPhone X different from previous iPhones have virtually all been implemented in various phones of Apple’s competitors. Despite Apple touting the phone as revolutionary, the features are anything but new. The Samsung Galaxy S8, which was released six months before the iPhone X, contained the full screen display, the lack of the home button, as well as, a facial recognition (AND iris scanning technology) feature. The OLED screen that the iPhone X is finally using has been on Samsung phones for years. Oh, and the Galaxy S8 is $300 cheaper than the iPhone X. That being said, Samsung just released a $1000 phone, following in Apple’s footsteps. Unfortunately, it seems like Apple no longer deserves a reputation for creating revolutionary products, but rather a reputation for selling products with outdated technology for revolutionarily high prices.

So, is the iPhone X really worth it? Well, in my opinionㅡno. If you are a devoted Apple fan and are in the market for a new phone, I suggest that you purchase one of Apple’s previous iPhone models for a lower price. If you are looking for a cutting edge phone, there are many devices available for under $1000 with the same or even better hardware from companies such as LG, Samsung, Huawei, and many more. All this being said, Apple products do have their aforementioned strengths, and I am hoping to see Apple stick to their slogan and ‘think different’ in order to design and sell truly innovative technology (at a reasonable price) in the future.